Walking aids for physically handicapped persons may vary from a simple walking stick, to a crutch, and eventually to a wheeled device with handlebars. In this case, the person grasps the two handlebars and pushes the device in front of him or her, and walks behind it. This type of device is usually used where the degree of handicap is too great to permit walking, for example, with a simple walking stick.
Some of these mobile walking aids, are provided with some form of carrier for goods to be carried, and indeed, persons may be able to carry a substantial quantity of goods, such as groceries, in such a walking aid. Thus they are rendered less dependent on assistance from others, and it gives them a greater sense of self-sufficiency.
However, one of the problems with mobile or wheeled walking aids is that on a downgrade they may tend to, as it were, run away from the person. If a person leans heavily on the handlebars, they may in fact, push the device too far ahead of them and will thus loose the support required. Similarly, if a quantity of goods or groceries is being carried on the device, the effect may be even more severe.
It is accordingly desirable to provide such a mobile wheeled walking device with some form of braking means. In the part, this has in fact between provided, simply by attaching typical bicycle-type braking handle levers underneath the handlebars. The braking levers could be connected by typical flexible cables to any suitable form of brakes. However, many of such physically handicapped people may also suffer from some degree of handicap of the hands. They may suffer, for example, from arthritis or some other complaint which makes the hand grip weak or else extremely painful. Consequently, it is desirable to provide a solution to this problem which will enable a person with somewhat handicapped hand function to be able to apply the brakes without having to extend the fingers and grasp a braking lever.
In the use of such walking aids, it is also desirable that the walking aid shall be collapsible so that it maybe folded up, to bring it indoors, or to carry it in an automobile, bus or other form of transportation. Various forms of collapsible mechanisms have been used in the past. In the majority of cases however, they were relatively limited in application, and could either be used fully opened up, or alternatively the walking aid could simply be folded shut for transportation or storage.
It is however, desirable that the walking aid shall also be capable of being used in a number of other situations. For example, it may be desirable for the walking aid to provide a seat for the person, so that from time to time they may rest. It is also desirable that the walking aid shall be capable of being used indoors in a dwelling. The typical walking aid is relatively wide, so as to provide good stability, and also to permit the person to step between the two rear wheels of the walking aid. In practice, these requirements means that the walking aid is usually of little use indoors in a conventional dwelling. In the majority of cases, the typical walking aid when used opened up, is not capable of passing through a doorway in a dwelling. It is, therefore, considered desirable that the folding or collapsing mechanism in the walking aid shall be capable of being set to as it were a "semi-closed" position, in which it provides a sufficient degree of support for walking about a dwelling, but in which its width is considerably less than when fully opened up. This will greatly increase the usefulness and adaptability of the walking aid, and also render the person more mobile and self-sufficient within their own dwelling.
In addition to all these features, it is also desirable that some form of adjustment shall be provided in the walking aid so as to adjust the height of the seating portion of the walking aid, to suit the build and size of the person using it.